Gravity ball check device and selfcleaning condenser for smokers&#39; pipes or cigarette holders



June 23, 1942- H.KoRN Erm. 2,287,436 GRAVITY BALL CHECK DEVICE AND SELF CLEANING CONDENSER FOR SMOKERS PIPES OR CIGARETTE HOLDERS Filed March 23, 1940 Patented June 23, 1942 UNITED STATES maar vOFFICE y Harry Korn and Max Korn, Los Angeles, Calif. Application March 23, 1940, Serial No. 325,624 y '6 claims (01.131-213) p Our invention relates to an improvement in tobacco smokers appliances which maybe used in connection with a smokerspipe or cigarette or cigar holder. In the construction of such smokers appliances attem-pts have been made to prevent or restrict the saliva from the smokers mouth entering the bowl of the pipe or the imme- -diate holder for a cigarettel or cigar by the employment of check valves of a ball' or other type. Such check valves are designed to open for the passage of smoke to the mouth but to close and remain closed by the action of the saliva flowing from the mouth towards the bowl of the pipe or by any condensed liquid in the mouthpiece. However, the check valves 'themselves due to the material used in the construction and the tortuous passage of smoke sometimes cause a condensation of the moisture from the tobacco carried by the smoke and thus a check valve becomes loaded with a somewhat tar-like deposit containing a considerable portion of nicotine. Such deposit renders the check valve inoperative and such condensed moisture from the tobacco caught in the check valve is suckedk into the mouth giving a very disagreeable taste.

In other types of improvement in smokers appliances various baliles or condenser assemblies have been utilized to trap or condense the moisture from the tobacco carried by the smoke. Most of these have a serious disadvantage in that while they cause a good deal of condensation, it is difficult to thoroughly clean the pipe on removal of the condenser or the baffle device.

An object and 4feature of our invention relates to a combinational construction of a ball type of check valve to prevent or restrict the passage of saliva towards the bowl of the pipe or towards a cigarette or cigar held in the holder used in conjunction with a condenser tted in a sleeve. In our invention the condenser is provided with a head remote from the mouthpiece and from the check valve having a close sliding nt in a sleeve, therefore by removing the condenser with the check valve from the sleeve, the head wipes the Ainside of the sleeve clean of any condensate or the obiectionable sticky liquids carried by the smoke are deposited by the con-denser in the sleeve and therefore cannot enter the ball check valve and the saliva'from the mouth is prevented from the check valve from entering the condenser.

In view of the fact that filters used in smokers pipes and the like are popular and have the function oi absorbing objectionable materia-ls from the smoke, our invention also comprehends a type of smokers appliancehaving a tubular filter connected to the head end of the condenser and utilized with our assembly of the check valve. Further detailed features are the special arrangement of the smoke passages preventing the condensates from the tobacco entering the check valve assembly or any possible moisture from the check valve assembly working through to the condenser and towards the bowl of the pipe. In view of the fact that many smokers desire to have a favorite pipe rendered with a suitable equipment to improve the same, our invention contemplates a check Valve block which may be itted in the mouthpiece and to the stem of pipes now in use and if desired the check valve assembly may be attached to the mouthpiece end and this substituted forv the former mouthpiece of the pipe.

Our invention is illustrated in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through one orm of a combined condenser and valve block built into a smokers pipe.

Fig, 2 is a similar longitudinal section with the bowl and the bowl stem of the pipe removed, our invention being utilized as a cigarette or cigar holder.

Fig. 3 is va side elevation broken away on a longitudinal section of a modied construction illustrating a tubular filter used in conjunction with the condenser head.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation partly broken away illustrating our check valve block used as a tting for a pipe.

Referring rst to the construction of Fig. l, conventional features now used in pipes are indicated as the bowl Il, the bowl stem I2 having the smoke duct I3 longitudinally through the center, the end terminating at a reduced neck section I4, the mouthpiece l5 has a central smoke duct I6 that is provided with a recess Il.

In our construction we employ a sleeve 2d which may be made of suitable material and has a snug and if desired permanent rit on the reduced portion I4 of the bowl stem. rIhis sleeve is preferably cylindrical on the inside. Our valve block and condenser assembly 25 includes the sleeve block end 26 which has an end plug 21 fitting in the recess I1 of the mouthpiece and preferably either having a tight fit or attached to the mouthpiece so that the -assembly may be maintained attached to the mouthpiece and inserted in the sleeve or removed therefrom. The check valve 36 employs a deep pocket 3| preferably sloping downwardly through the center from the upper side of the valve block. This is operi at the top but has a crosswire 32 or the like preventing the ball 33 from falling out of the pocket. A smoke duct 34 communicates between the upper part of the pocket through the plug 21 to the smoke duct I6 of the mouthpiece. The valve seat is at the lower end of the pocket 3|. From below the valve seat there is a downwardly directed duct 35 intersecte-d by an upwardly inclined duct 36.

The condenser portion has a central core 4I preferably formed integral with the valve block 26 and also formed integral with the core there are a series of ns 4I providing between the ns annular channels 42. These ns in diameter are less than the inside diameter of the sleeve 20 and the smoke duct 36 leads to the upper side of one of the annular channels. A head is attached to the eXtreme end of the core and such head is preferably made of material having relatively poor heat conducting properties. For instance, the core and the ns are preferably formed of aluminum and the head may be constructed of hard rubber or equivalent material. A smoke duct 46 extends diagonally upwardly through the head leading from the center in alignment with the smoke duct I3 to one of the annular channels 42. This head thus restricts the condensation of moisture in the tobacco smoke in the smoke duct I3 of the bowl stem I2. The head 45 has a close sliding fit in the sleeve 2D.

In the operation and use of the construction above described in Fig. l, the ball check valve prevents and restricts saliva passing from the mouth through the mouthpiece from entering the condenser on the suction of smoke, the smoke from the burning tobacco is first carried upwardly in the duct 46 through the head 45 and comes in intimate contact with the ns and core of the condenser causing a quick condensation of the objectionable tarry materials and nicotine carried by the smoke. The dry smoke then flows downwardly through the inclined channel 36, the upwardly inclined duct 35, through the open check valve to the upper part of the pocket 3| and thence by the downwardly inclined duct 34 to the duct I6 of the mouthpiece I5. When it is desired to clean the pipe the mouthpiece with the check valve and condenser assembly is pulled outwardly relative to the bowl, the bowl stem and the sleeve 2U, this latter remaining attached to the bowl stem. The condenser head in removal then cleans out the condensed material clinging to the inside of the sleeve and thus leaves this quite clean. The condenser and the valve assembly when thus removed from the sleeve may readily be cleaned in the usual inanner. It will be noted that the various smoke ducts are in such a position that pipe cleaner wires with fibres attached thereto may be readily thrust through the ducts and they can be used to clean out the pocket 3I around the ball check valve. The fins and the annular spaces around the core of the condenser may readily be cleaned with soft paper or the like.

In using our invention above described in Fig.

1 as a cigarette holder, the bowl stem of the pipe is attached to the sleeve 20 so that such stem may be removed and thus a cigarette indicated at 50 may be fitted in the end of the sleeve 20 and thus the device may readily be used as a cigarette holder or if made in diiferent sizes as a cigar holder. This may be cleaned in the same way by removing the mouthpiece with the unit assembly of the check valve and condenser from this sleeve.

In the construction of Fig. 3 the mouthpiece is preferably the same as above described and has the assembly of the check valve and condenser indicated at 6|] attached thereto. In this case the general construction of the check valve and the condenser is similar to that shown in Fig. 1 except that the head 6I of the condenser is illustrated as having a collar 62 formed integral therewith forming a cylindrical recess 63 as to the inside and in this is iitted a tubular lter 64 of a type commonly in use. The bowl stem 65 has the smoke duct 66 of the usual type and an enlarged recess 61 to accommodate the lter 64. The end of the stem is shown as having an internal taper 68 having a snug fit on the collar portion 62 of the head 6I. In this arrangement the sleeve 10 has a close fit on the block 60 and on the peripheral portion of the head 6I but is not attached to the bowl stem. Therefore to replace the filters the mouthpiece withpthe check valve and condenser assembly including the sleeve 10 may be disconnected from the bowl stem and the saturated lter removed and a replacement filter again fitted in the collar 62 and hence in the bowl of the stem. In this type of construction the mouthpiece with the condenser may be removed from the sleeve 10, the head of the condenser cleaning the interior of the sleeve as these parts are separated.

In Fig. 4 we illustrate a simplified form of our invention to be used with the smokers own pipe in which only part of the pipe stem is indicated dotted and designated 15. This has a smoke duct 16 and a recess 11. The replacement construction may include a mouthpiece 18 with an internal recess 19 and to the mouthpiece is attached a check valve block 80. This has a plug 8I having a snug t in the recess 19. The check valve assembly 82 is similar to that illustrated in Fig. 1, the inclined smoke duct 83 however communicates directly with the duct 16 of the bowl stem. By the use of this construction and omitting the condenser, a simple and compact device is provided which may be readily iitted to most pipes, the smoker still retaining his bowl and bowl stem and if desired merely acquiring the new mouthpiece as a replacement with the check valve assembly attached thereto. It will however be understood that the check valve block may be fitted to the present mouthpiece of most pipes.

Various changes may be made in the details of the construction without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a smoking appliance the combination of a sleeve, a block-like structure fitted therein and having transverse smoke passages interconnecting at opposite sides of the block and on the inside of the sleeve, a condenser structure having peripheral condensing means connected to the block and provided with a head with a sliding fit in the sleeve, there being a smoke passage through the said head', one end of the block being adapted for attachment to a mouthpiece, and the head of the block With one end of the sleeve being adapted for attachment of a smoking device.

2. In a smoking appliance the combination of a sleeve, a block-like structure tted therein and having transverse smoke passages interconnecting at opposite sides of the block and on the inside of the sleeve, a condenser structure having peripheral condensing means connected to the block and provided with a head with a sliding t in the sleeve, there being a smoke passage through the said head, one end of the block being adapted for attachment to a mouthpiece, and the head of the block With one end of the sleeve being adapted for attachment of a smoke device, one of the smoke passages having an enlarged recess with a ball check valve fitted therein, the ball being adapted to drop by gravity to contact a valve seat.

3. A smoking appliance including a mouthpiece with a rst smoke duct, a block secured to the mouthpiece, a sleeve surrounding the block, a condenser attached to the block and forming with the sleeve an annular space, the block having a smoke passage communicating from said space to said rst smoke duct, a terminal head attached to said condenser and having a scraping fit in the sleeve, said sleeve eX- tending beyond said head, a boWl having a pipe stem tted in the extended part of the sleeve, said head having a smoke duct from said pipe stern to said annular space.

4. In a smoking appliance the combination of a sleeve, a block-like structure tted therein and having transverse smoke passages intersecting at opposite sides of the block and on the inside of the sleeve, a condenser structure connected to the block and provided with a head having a sliding t in the sleeve, there being a smoke passage through said head, the sleeve extending beyond the head, one end of the block being adapted for attachment to a mouthpiece and the extended end of the sleeve being adapted for attachment of a pipe stem with a bowl, a smoke duct in the stem connecting With the smoke passage through the head.

5. In a smoking appliance the combination of a sleeve, a block-like structure tted therein and having transverse smoke passages interconnecting at opposite sides of the block and on the inside of the sleeve, a condenser structure connected to the block and provided with a head having a sliding i'lt in the sleeve, there being a smoke passage through the said head, the sleeve extending beyond the head, one end of the block being adapted for attachment to a mouthpiece and the extended sleeve being adapted to receive a cigarette.

6. In a smoking appliance the combination of a sleeve, a block-like structure tted therein and having transverse smoke passages interconnecting at opposite sides of the block and on the inside of the sleeve, a condenser connected to the block provided With a head With a sliding fit in the sleeve, there being a smoke passage through said head, the head having a collar connected thereto adapted to retain a filter aligning With the end of the said smoke passage, one end of the block being adapted for attachment of a pipe stem having a boWl with a smoke duct through the stem leading to the collar.

HARRY KORN. MAX KORN. 

